The number of those arrested in today’s teachers’ protest gathering in Tehran has reached 200. Many of those arrested are teachers from other cities such as Mashhad, Mahabad, Yazd, Kohkilouyeh, Marivan, Delfan Khomain, Isfahan, Kerman, Shahreza, Anzali, Sabzevar, Robat Karim, Pakdasht, Sanandaj, Qazvin, Shahr-e Kord, Karaj, Hamedan, Oromieh, Sari,… who had come to Tehran and were arrested in the attacks by the suppressive forces.Hashem Khastar, speaker of teachers’ union in Khorassan, is among those arrested and taken to the detention center in Vozara Street. He was a political prisoner in the 1980s and has been arrested numerous times since for defending teachers’ rights.It is a long time now that a number of teachers, including Esmael Abdi, head of the teachers’ union, and Rasoul Bodaqi, Mahmoud Baqeri, Alireza Hashemi, and Ali-akbar Baghani are imprisoned for their defense of teachers’ rights. The release of these political prisoners was among the demands of the teachers’ protest gathering today

From 10 a.m. today, over 2000 freedom-loving teachers coming from near and far cities gathered in the streets around the parliament. Protestors chanted “Free those arrested” while the drivers passing buy honked their horn in support.The suppressive forces employed provisions to disperse the teachers, including by conducting attacks on the gathering. However, the freedom-loving teachers fought off to again form their gathering. The participants in the protest gathering carried placards that demanded the release of imprisoned teachers.Motorcycle riders from the special anti-riot forces roamed the streets in this area making a lot of noise in order to terrorize the people and the suppressive forces prevented people who wanted to take pictures and film of the protest gathering.Despite the severe crackdown, the area was tumultuous until noon (Tehran time) and a large number of teachers were present although scattered around. The Mellat metro station (from Toupkhane Square to the east) witnessed a heavy presence of the security forces.In Jomhouri and Baharestan streets and Baharestan metro station, there was a heavy presence of security forces and plainclothes agents.Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of IranJuly 22, 2015